This work explores the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for nondestructive determination of wood characteristics and for 3D wood modeling. In this context, one of the applications under development is the automatic recognition and reconstruction of rings from transversal images obtained from MRI scanners. The algorithm analyzes a set of transversal MRI images, detecting and reconstructing growth ring edges. The information generated is then interpolated in order to obtain an accurate 3D picture of the log and its fundamental constituents (individual rings, knots, defects, etc). Results also show that the technique has potential for defect recognition, providing a powerful tool for future developments in wood analysis. The results are encouraging and further research is needed to develop automatic detection not only of rings, but also of different types of defects that are of paramount importance in the sawmill and plywood industries.